News

MI5 warns that bombers may be on way back

SENIOR MPs and members of the police and security forces have been told to increase their level of personal security after MI5 issued a warning of a heightened threat of a bombing or assassination by the IRA.

MI5’s joint terrorism analysis centre has circulated a warning raising its assessment of the risk of an IRA attack to “significant” — just one level below the threat from Al-Qaeda. The warning means the risk of an IRA attack against London or other targets is the highest since the 1997 ceasefire.

The move reflects the spy service’s latest assessment of the fallout from the £26.5m Belfast bank robbery in December, in which the IRA has been implicated. New intelligence also indicates the IRA is updating its list of potential targets on the mainland.

The MI5 warning comes as Sir Ian Blair, the Metropolitan police commissioner, warned last week that his force is on standby